Super Mario Galaxy (working title)

For years there have only been whispers of Mario's forthcoming console platformer, so the appearance of a full-fledged demo of Super Mario Galaxy (working title) at this year's E3 came as a bit of a shock. Having gotten barely a mention in the years following Super Mario Sunshine (which many consider to be the series' worst entry), including at Nintendo's own press conference at this year's E3, the 10-minute gameplay demo available on the show floor spoke many more volumes than a teaser and a few bullet points ever could.

E3 Live Demo

We bring Mario to you with this demo from inside the Nintendo booth.

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Using the Wii controller almost to perfection, the demo let you guide Mario around the outside of a number of planets and jet set between them. The screen's sensor is used to pick up jewels found floating in space, and the motion detector, when jiggled, sends Mario into a twirl. Even showcasing the freshly announced speaker-in-the-controller functionality, players could hear the coos of Mario, as well as other sound effects, coming from their remotes. And somehow, this demo managed to both open our eyes to all of the possibilities of the Wii controller and also look and feel exactly like a Mario game. Considering the pedigree of the franchise, we consider that to be quite a feat.

For years the platform genre has been said to be dwindling or fading, but arguably, it's only been the years since the last time we were treated to a Mario game. As Mario helped to create and develop the genre, we turn to creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo to rejuvenate and innovate it. If what we saw of Super Mario Galaxy at E3 is any indication, the platform genre still has many places to go, and we can't wait to be there when it does.

Finalists

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (PSP)
Sonic Wild Fire (Wii)